Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Oakwood Surgery on 27 October 2015. The overall rating for the practice was good but rated as requires improvement for providing safe services.

We found the practice required improvement in this area due to breaches in regulations relating to safe care and treatment. This was because:

• The practice did not ensure that all repeat prescriptions were re-authorised by clinicians.

• The practice did not have robust arrangements in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies that may impact on the running of the practice.

The full comprehensive report on the October 2015 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Oakwood Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

On 9 March 2017 we carried out a desk-based focus review to confirm that they had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 27 October 2015. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice no longer allowed administrative staff to reauthorise repeat prescriptions. All prescriptions were authorised by the GPs or advanced nurse prescribers. There was an electronic prescribing system in place and clinical prescribing staff had been trained to use this. The practice had implemented a detailed repeat prescribing policy and flowchart which formalised these arrangements.

• The practice had put in place a detailed and comprehensive business continuity plan to assess and manage risks relating to health, safety and welfare of patients; and to address foreseeable emergencies that may impact on the running of the practice. The business plan had been shared with all staff. Copies of the plan and emergency contact numbers were kept off site.

The practice is now rated as good for providing safe services.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Oakwood Surgery on 27 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

• Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows: The practice valued opportunities to learn and develop.

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.

• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles. For example as there was a high prevalence of diabetes one of the GP partners had completed the Warwick certificate in diabetes care.

• Patients said they were treated with kindness and compassion. Many of the patients we spoke with had been with the practice for many years.

• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand (including in different languages such as Arabic).

• Patients told us that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day. Patient reviews were routinely carried out. The care home managers spoke very highly of the GPs at the practice.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Action the provider must take to improve:

• Ensure that all repeat prescriptions are only reauthorised by clinicians.

• Ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure the practice is able to deal with foreseeable emergencies that may impact on the running of the practice

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice